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outline/outline

Outline

Team knowledge base with a documented REST API and an in-repo MCP route, self-hostable under BUSL.

AdaptableOperable Business appWeb app Deterministic TypeScript MCP server License: BUSL-1.1

Outline is a collaborative wiki for teams: collections, documents, comments, templates, and integrations, with a hosted edition at getoutline.com. The server ships an MCP endpoint (server/routes/mcp) beside the REST API, so an agent can read and write documents on either the cloud or a self-hosted instance. Self-hosting is free under the Business Source License, which forbids reselling it as a document service.

Use it when
  • your team needs a wiki with SSO and you want an agent to draft and file docs into the right collection
  • you want Notion-style docs on your own Postgres without a per-seat bill
Gotchas
  • BUSL-1.1 Additional Use Grant forbids offering Outline as a Document Service to third parties; converts to Apache-2.0 on 2030-09-01
  • Requires an external identity provider; there is no local email-and-password login
  • Maintainers reject AI-generated pull requests (README)
  • MCP tools are filtered by OAuth scopes; the client needs an OAuth token, not a plain API key

Last activity Sep 3, 2026. Fit: adaptable 2, operable 3.

Editions

Self-hosted · Free closed source

  • Clonegit clone https://github.com/outline/outline
  • ImageContainer

closed source

closed source

closed source

For agents: JSON · Markdown

Adaptable: what is yours to change

Make it yours

Config only31 things to edit

.env.sample documents the whole surface: SECRET_KEY and UTILS_SECRET, DATABASE_URL and REDIS_URL, URL and PORT, FILE_STORAGE (local or s3 with AWS_S3_* vars), one or more auth providers (OIDC_*, GOOGLE_*, AZURE_*, GITHUB_*), SMTP_*, and per-integration client ids for Slack, Linear, Notion, Figma, Dropbox, Iframely. docker-compose.yml wires Postgres and Redis. No code edits for a standard deployment.

Env vars
SECRET_KEY UTILS_SECRET DATABASE_URL REDIS_URL URL PORT FORCE_HTTPS FILE_STORAGE FILE_STORAGE_LOCAL_ROOT_DIR AWS_S3_UPLOAD_BUCKET_NAME AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY OIDC_CLIENT_ID OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET OIDC_AUTH_URI OIDC_TOKEN_URI OIDC_USERINFO_URI GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET SLACK_CLIENT_ID SLACK_CLIENT_SECRET SMTP_SERVICE SMTP_USERNAME SMTP_PASSWORD SMTP_FROM_EMAIL DEFAULT_LANGUAGE RATE_LIMITER_ENABLED IFRAMELY_URL LOG_LEVEL
Config files
.env docker-compose.yml
Prompt files
none
Accounts you need
an OIDC, Google, Azure, GitHub, GitLab, Discord, or Slack identity provider (at least one is required for sign-in)S3-compatible storage (optional)

Source

Operable: what an agent can drive

Interface

OfficialMCP serverpublished by the builderremote or local

How an agent can drive an Operable Listing, in five levels: native (built for the agent as the primary interface), official (the Builder ships an agent interface), wrapped (a third party wraps the software's API), config (an agent can only drive it by editing files), gui (screen control only). An interface is official only when it is published by the same organization that ships the software. GUI-level Listings are allowed and sorted last.

Docs
github.com/outline/outline/tree/main/server/routes/mcp

Reach

Partial coverage. 7 of 10 jobs reachable through the stated interface.

JobThrough the interfaceEvidence
Create, read, update, and search documentsReachableserver/routes/mcp/index.ts imports tools/documents; tool names not read individually
Organize documents into collectionsReachabletools/collections module
Comment on documentsReachabletools/comments module
Attach filesReachabletools/attachments module
Use and manage templatesReachabletools/templates module
Look up usersReachabletools/users module
Fetch a document by URL or idReachabletools/fetch module
Share documents publicly and manage permissionsUndeterminedno shares or memberships tool module seen; REST API has shares.* and collections.add_user
Slack, GitHub, Linear, Notion integrationsNot reachableconfigured with env vars and OAuth in the UI; no MCP tool module
AI question answeringNot reachablehosted-plan feature per getoutline.com/pricing; not an MCP tool

Code stack

Languages
TypeScript
Frameworks
ReactNode.jsKoaSequelize
Package manager
yarn
Database
PostgreSQLRedis
Hosting target
docker
Built
Mixed (recorded, never ranked)

Evidence and confidence

FieldWhere it was seenConfidence
formFactorREADME: React and Node.js web app; container images on Docker Hub95%
executionModelno model SDK in .env.sample; AI question answering is a hosted-plan feature70%
operabilityserver/routes/mcp in the outline/outline repo; tool modules documents, collections, comments, attachments, templates, users, fetch90%
effort.env.sample with 90+ documented variables; docs.getoutline.com/s/hosting90%
editionsgetoutline.com/pricing: Starter $10, Team $79, Business $249 per month; LICENSE: BUSL-1.1 with free self-host grant85%
activepushedAt 2026-09-03–
provenanceCLAUDE.md and AGENTS.md at root; project dates to 201640%
reach70%

Open questions

  • Read the exact MCP tool names and OAuth scopes in server/routes/mcp/tools
  • Is AI question answering available self-hosted, and which provider key does it need?
  • Are the cloud prices per workspace or per seat band?

Sources